Neurological and functional recovery from spinal cord injury. Progress and evaluation standards in paraplegic medicine

Today, there is accumulating evidence from animal experiments that axonal regeneration and an enhanced level of functional repair can be induced after a spinal cord injury (SCI). Consequently, in the near future, new therapeutic approaches will be developed for the treatment of patients with SCI. The aim of the project presented here is to provide the required clinical basis for the implementation of novel interventional therapies. Refined and combined clinical and neurophysiological measures are needed for a precise qualitative and quantitative assessment of spinal cord function in patients with SCI at an early stage. This represents a basic requirement for recognizing any improvement in the recovery of function and to monitor any significant effect of a new treatment. The paper presents objective and refined tools as a basis for monitoring the effects of new treatment strategies.